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ICILS 2013

International Computer and Information Literacy Study

The IEA International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) 2013 examines the outcomes of student computer and information literacy (CIL) across countries. CIL refers to an individual's ability to use computers to investigate, create, and communicate in order to participate effectively at home, at school, in the workplace, and in the community.

ICILS asks how well students are prepared for life in the information age, and aims to answer several key questions about student CIL and its contexts:

How does student computer and information literacy vary within and between countries?

What factors influence students' computer and information literacy?

What can education systems and schools do to improve students' computer and information literacy?

The assessment of CIL is authentic and computer-based. It includes three types of tasks: (i) multiple-choice or constructed response items based on realistic stimulus material; (ii) software simulations of generic applications so that students are required to complete an action in response to an instruction; and (iii) authentic tasks that require students to modify and create information products using 'live' computer software applications.

The student questionnaire gathers information about computer use in and outside of school, attitudes to technology, self-reported computer proficiency, and background characteristics. Teacher and school questionnaires ask about computer use, computing resources, and relevant policies and practices in the school context. A national context survey collects systemic data on educational policies and practices for developing computer and information literacy, expertise of teachers, and digital technology resources in schools.

Target population

The ICILS target population consists of all students in the eighth grade, provided that the mean age at the time of testing was at least 13.5 years.

Schedule

ICILS was inaugurated in June 2010 at the first meeting of the national research coordinators in Amsterdam. Framework and instrument development work was carried out in 2010 and continued in 2011, along with the pilot of the survey instruments. The field test was conducted in the first half of 2012, and the main data collection occurred at the beginning and end of 2013 for northern and southern hemisphere countries, respectively. The international report was published in November 2014. The international database and technical report will be released in March 2015.

Management

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) serves as the international study center for ICILS. ACER staff, including Project Coordinator Dr John Ainley, Research Director Mr Julian Fraillon, and Assessment Coordinator Dr Wolfram Schulz, are responsible for designing and implementing the study in close cooperation with the IEA Secretariat, the IEA Data Processing and Research Center, and the national centers of participating countries.

Funding

The participation fees for the ICILS project are assessed in two currencies. The fee is USD 15,000 and EUR 15,000 per year, for each of the five years of the project (2010–2014). European countries participating in ICILS receive financial support from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Education and Culture.